Source: The Intercept
THE KILLING OF a Mexican photographer, murdered along with four women over the weekend in Mexico City, has added another name to the nation’s long, grim list of dead journalists, and left many wondering if any place in the country is safe.
The beaten body of Rubén Espinosa Becerril was discovered in an apartment in a middle-class neighborhood in the capital on Friday and was positively identified by family members the following day. By Sunday afternoon thousands had gathered to mourn him and the four women killed alongside him, one of whom was a young activist.
Evidence indicated that each of the victims was bound and tortured before being shot in the head, authorities said, adding that the wounds they sustained suggested they had resisted their attackers.
According to Article 19, a press freedom organization, Espinosa’s family members had reported him missing Friday afternoon and “notified the authorities to instigate search protocols.” While Mexican officials have maintained that they are pursuing all lines of investigation in the case, the press freedom group criticized the government for not taking action sooner.
“The threats that Espinosa had suffered were public, and his murder happened because the authorities charged with protecting journalists in this country didn’t lift a finger for him,” Article 19 said in a statement.